1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



285 



cess. Take two parts of saltpetre and one of al- 

 um ; pulverize finely, mix them and sprinkle even- 

 ly over the flesh side of the skin ; then roll the 

 skin tightly together, and let it remain a few days, 

 according to the weather, then scrape the skin till 

 it is soft and pliable. I have tanned skins in this 

 way so that they would be as soft and white as 

 buckskins. A Subsckiber. 



Shelburne, VL, 1862. 



ANOTHER MODE. 



"A Reader" wishes to know the mode of tan- 

 ning coon and fox skins with the fur on. I will 

 give him my mode of operation. 



If the skin is green from the body, scrape all 

 the flesh from it, then pulverize equal parts of 

 saltpetre and alum and cover the flesh part of the 

 skin with it : put the flesh in in such a manner as 

 to hold the brine when dissolved, then lay it away 

 in a cool place, — say the cellar — and let it lay 

 four or six days ; then cover the flesh part with 

 soft soap, and wash off" clean with water. Dry in 

 the shade, roll and pull occasionally while drying ; 

 then roll and pull until soft and pliable. 



Orange, Vt., 1862. A Tanner. 



ASPARAGUS ROOTS — CURRANT CUTTINGS. 



Will asparagus plants from a bed ten years old 

 do well to transplant to form a new bed, when 

 younger plants cannot be obtained ? 



When should cuttings be taken from currants 

 and gooseberries ? p. 



Orfordville, N. IT., May 5. 



Remarks. — We know of no reason why aspara- 

 gus roots ten years old should not be good for 

 transplanting. 



Gooseberry and currant cuttings should be cut 

 before they start their leaves in the spring. They 

 are so hardy, however, that they will probably live 

 even if they have started a little. 



STOCKING LAND WITH GRASS. 



I have a piece of land which is self-stocked with 

 white clover. I wish to knoAV how it would do to 

 sow timothy seed and roll it in ? Should I get as 

 good a crop as if I were to plow and stock anew ? 



Shelburne, VL, 1862. A Subscriber. 



Wool Growing. — The Secretary of the Ver- 

 mont State Agricultural Society, Daniel Needham, 

 in his annual report, has the following remarks 

 upon the important subject of wool growing : 



The price of wool for the next few years, rea- 

 soning from analogy, must be high. The cotton 

 crop will not be planted extensively at the South 

 as it has been in years past ; and if the blockade 

 is not raised by the first of April next, in many 

 States it will not be planted at all. Should the 

 rebellion not be suppressed 'wathin another year, 

 as very likely it may not be, very little of the cot- 

 ton crop of 1861 will find its way to market for 

 the next eighteen months ; and when we consider 

 that the people must be clothed ; that the use of 

 woollen fabrics during the present high price of 

 cotton goods is much more economical ; that the 

 million of men in the field wear and destroy, in 

 weight, a third more of clothing than in the peace- 



ful avocations of life ; that at the South all the car- 

 pets have been cut up into blankets and that very 

 little of the worn out stock will be supplied until 

 peace is restored — from the fact that the South 

 has not even the raw material to replenish with — 

 the whole seceding States not producing as much 

 wool as the State of Ohio alone ; it can be seen, 

 that not only during the war, but at its close, when 

 the million of men in the army return to their 

 former employments, discard their military cloth- 

 ing, and dress as they were wont in broadcloth 

 and doeskins, the price of wool must continue 

 above the average price for the last five years. In 

 time of war, the quality of wool is a matter of 

 no small consequence. Vermont has limited her- 

 self to the production of the finest wools. But 

 the wool most in demand now, and bringing the 

 highest prices, is a coarser grade. The query may 

 well be made, whether it will not be equally prof- 

 itable for us to turn our attention to the produc- 

 tion of a somewhat coarser staple, and at the same 

 time furnish richer and higher priced mutton for 

 the market. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE MORBLLL HOKSB, DBACO. 



This fine stallion, though possessing a world- 

 wide reputation on account of his great speed, is 

 so nearly up to the standard of perfection for a 

 horse of general use, that he deserves a passing 

 notice. He is black, with a slight orange tinge 

 around the muzzle and under the flanks. Stands 

 nearly 16 hands high, and weighs 1175 pounds. 

 He has a powerful muscular system, and a coun- 

 tenance at once indicating intelligence and strong 

 nervous sensibilities, coupled with calmness and 

 docility. His form is perfect, and he has as good 

 feet and limbs as can be given to a horse. In har- 

 ness he moves with that ease and regularity which 

 mark the real trotter, 3'et with such commanding 

 strength as to give the rider an idea that he has a 

 horse fit for any emergency. His blood is such as 

 to warrant the belief that the popular reputation 

 he bears as a stock horse is a real one. 



Although his speed is not his most desirable 

 excellence, it is a fact that he has trotted a full 

 mile in public, in two minutes and thirty-one sec- 

 onds, when only seven years old, and he has made 

 a breeding season every year since he was two 

 years old, and has never been trained at a track 

 ten days at a time in his life. 



It is not our pm-pose to write a eulogy on this 

 horse. But seeing him advertised to make a sea- 

 son so near us as Cambridge, and his terras at the 

 low price of $25, we were induced to state these 

 facts, so that our breeders may go and see him, 

 and patronize him. . SiGMA. 



Framingliam, May 6, 1862. 



Remarks, — We have seen Draco, and are sat- 

 isfied that the praise bestowed upon him by our 

 correspondent is none too high. With an exquis- 

 ite symmetry of body, he has limbs of wonderful 

 muscular power, and in our judgment must pos- 

 sess extraordinary abilities of endurance, as well 

 as speed, Mr. Tucker, his owner, is an intelli- 

 gent and upright man, and entitled to the confi- 

 dence and patronage of the public. 



